A Merry Christmas To All (Back Home)

It's funny, but only a few holidays get to me since being away from my old hometown of Whitman, Massachusetts.  I mean, I enjoy New Year's eve, but it's not what I'd refer to as a nostalgic time.  Nor is my birthday, nor most of the other holidays.  No, Thanksgiving and Christmas are the ones that still get to me...

Is part of this because I'm getting older?  Sure, that has to have something to do with it.  And, is it because of some long ago memories I have from childhood?  Ya, I think so.  For, while something like birthdays were always made to be special for my siblings and me, it's still those two holidays that tend to get me feeling kinda homesick (or something like that).

Anyway, while I'm sure to get back to some memories a little later, let me share something else that warmed my heart over recent years.  What I'm getting at is a special night that now takes place late each December in downtown Whitman.  It's called Winterfest, a time for the locals to celebrate the winter holidays.

Now, I shot this video the very last time I was able to attend, and almost 2-years before I followed a different dream that took me to Florida.  Have a look, and I'll see you on the flip-side...

I'll bet that those who have been away for awhile still recognized some things, or some downtown stores.  Interestingly, a few spots have stayed the same for years, while there always seem to be some storefronts that change on a yearly basis.

Duval's remains an anchor in the same location where my little sis and my sister-in-law worked at the snackbar as teens (back in the 70's?)  And, while I might be wrong, I believe the fourth generation of Duvals now works at the store/pharmacy.  John's Hair Salon has been around in the center for quite awhile now -- I remember John opening the place as merely a kid, probably just out of hairdressing school.  Then, while most of the bank buildings are still there, the majority have changed names -- like 232 times.  Gone is Hovey's -- where I'd get "nickel Cokes", the five-and-ten, Freeman's Hardware, Jouberts Clothing, Whitman News, and Western Auto.

Is it just me who remembers a lot of the store clerks from those establishments being kinda mean looking?  Heck, I never thought to steal a thing in my life, yet some of the old folks who worked in those stores followed me (and everyone else) around like we were the reincarnation of Charles Manson.  The guy who ran Western Auto was like that. And how about the guy who watched over the place from up on a balcony at the five-and-ten -- with the two grumpy ladies down on the floor seeming like they didn't want to be there.  In reality, I'm probably way off base, and they were really nice people.  But that's how things looked through the eyes of a 10-year old, a 12-year old, whatever.

As for me, I'm missing all of it -- even the grumpies, but only for the holiday season.  Hey, take a look (down below) at what I'm seeing from where I currently sit.  It's about 80-degrees outside today, while I understand it's going to be a little cooler tomorrow, Christmas Day, at something closer to 70-ish.  So, no, we won't be having a "white Christmas" this year -- LOL.

Speaking of the surroundings...  I am thrilled that Brenda loves the wildlife here as much as I.  We watched a duck hatch just one egg after a seeming forever stretch, and we've seen that little duckling grow from not daring to leave its mom to being hardly discernible from the other adult ducks.  Crazy looking birds abound here, while I get jealous that the mockingbirds seem to constantly sing to Brenda.  We had a gator captured from the shown pond last spring, and more recently, while walking Raggs very late at night, I played a game of stare-down with a pretty big coyote, that was no more than a hundred feet from us.  He finally sprinted away, but...

If you want to stay active -- other than shoveling snow, this is the place to be.  For example, we now take walks after dinner every night, we take countless shorter walks with Raggs, and during the warmer months we're exercising daily in the pool.

Thankfully, most of the Chighisola Clan has moved to Florida, which makes it possible for us to now gather with family for festive occasions at one home or another.  As I recounted in my earlier post -- about Thanksgiving ("Memories of Back Home in Tiny Whitman"), we spent that big day at my sister Denise's house.  This time we get to all come together again -- from Brenda to my mom to my brother John's and Denise's families -- at Donna's house a little north of here. 


For me, the only tough parts are going to be the once in awhile flashbacks of some childhood memories.  And, it's going to be the fleeting thoughts of one or another Christmas past.  Once again, dad will be missing, for the 6th Christmas.  For a first time, though, my brother Lou won't be around to brighten things -- with his wry smiles and sense of humor.

Then, yet another funny thing, and something a lot of my older Whitman friends might appreciate...  Although we love our families, kids are what tend to make Christmas extra-special.  I experienced that when I was one of them, but it was just as much fun to witness the excitement and anticipation in my son and then later my grandson.  (Actually -- and God bless him for being this way, at 26-years old, my grandson still acts like a kid at Christmas.)

Come to think of it, life goes on, doesn't it.  I mean, it's easy to get caught up in daily "things", like about 24/7, and about 360-ish days per year.  It's those couple of special dates, however, that tend to bring on a melancholy feeling.

I don't know...  Have I struck a chord with any of you?  Or, must you get a little older -- or move further from home -- in order for different kinds of things to matter?  Let me know, huh?  I love hearing from old friends.  

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First, some of the ducks sit on their eggs just off to the right of the walkway on our way to the clubhouse.  There's the expectant mom sitting on an egg down below, and then the no-longer-a-baby duckling swimming behind.her/his mom.

      

That gator they pulled out of our pond was a big sucker, at what the wildlife people measured as 9' 6".

And below is a pic of exactly what that coyote looked like -- ugh.  It was about 1:30am and dark when we came face to face.  But I saw that rascal well enough under a street light to know it was a coyote -- looking just like this one -- staring back at me.

That Thanksgiving Day article on "Memories of Back Home in Tiny Whitman" was one of my most popular, so maybe you'd like to take a look.

A Little of This and That

Frankly, I'm dealing with the aftermath of Thanksgiving today.  Ugh...  

Everything was so awesome at my sister's house yesterday -- from the chance to visit with family and friends I hadn't seen in ages, and also the chance to kinda pig-out on some of the best dishes I've tasted in awhile.  Of course, the latter is the reason I'm likely paying a price today, and it's also why I'm a little slow with the typing.  (Did I say "Ugh" yet?)

Anyway, trying to go a little easy on this old coach's brain for awhile, I thought I'd just briefly touch upon a few things readers might not know.

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A lot of years ago I had a pretty popular online "radio show" going on from my studio back in Whitman, MA.  (That studio, by the way, is one anyone would likely die for.  I'm talking about 6 PCs -- for audio, video, special effects and lots more.  The programs running on those machines were also professional level, so I could do Hollywood-type stuff.)  Since moving to Florida, though, all of that equipment has been in storage.

Am I itching to get that and my hockey library set up once again?  Of course.  However, that's going to have to wait until Brenda and I get the extra space to dedicate a good sized room just for my work.

Still, a little hardship has never stopped me.  Naw...  I've managed to construct a mini-studio between two laptops I've kept with me, and I've also managed to build a new website to be home to the Hockey Secrets Podcasts.

I'm sure hockey folks will gain a lot from listening in, while other friends might get a kick out of hearing me speak in "Boston-ese".  :)

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If you're a high level hockey skills instructor -- or involved in a slightly related area of expertise, I think you're going to want to get involved with something I have on the drawingboard right now.  Like any other idea like I'm planning, however, I can't say much more until it's launched.  If you want to drop me a note expressing interest in becoming involved, please use the short form on Contact Dennis up above.  I promise you're going to love it.  (And, hey, this is going to be one of those "be there or be square" things!)

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Ever since I began coaching, I've been an incessant reader of all things motivational.  I mean, I've read the life stories and strategies of top coaches -- in all sports, as well as devouring everything having to do with top military, business and political leaders.

With that, a few weeks ago I developed a Facebook page solely for Great Motivational Quotes, and it's now nearing close to 100 inspirational sayings already.

And, while coaches and businesspeople usually like to borrow such quotes, I suspect others might find a favorite there to use as their own, personal motto.  (I know I have a couple, and they're included on that page.)  A number of friends have also left their favorite quotes for us to appreciate.

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Okay, don't laugh...  I have been told for ages that I should get on Pinterest.  I sat on that -- or ho-hummed it -- for a year or so, but finally decided recently to give it a go.  Hmmmmmmm...

Actually, I kinda like it, although I've taken a slightly different approach than most...  What I've done is arrange my area something like a scrapbook.  Ya, I have an area about my earliest years, another for the slightly later years, another for what I'm doing today, and even one for my dreams for the future.

I've gotten the hang of posting -- pics to videos, but I'm still trying to get the hang of following folks and borrowing pins.  If you stop by and connect with me, though, I'm sure I'll be able to reciprocate.

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I'm rather surprised that the two most popular posts here have both been hockey oriented, as in:  "A Father's Letter To His Son At The End Of His Junior Hockey Career" and "Are People Really THIS Dumb?"

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Of course, it goes without saying that most of my time is dedicated to developing the CoachChic.com website -- that aimed at helping hockey players, coaches and parents beyond what I can do elsewhere.  As a matter of fact, I'm off to post my suggested "weekend reading" there, as well as updating an area I call "My Best Posts".

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All that said, I have an awesome post that's nearly ready for release this coming Sunday or Monday.  But, I'm staying away from that -- and sharp objects -- at least for the rest of this day.